Indonesian students call for cancellation of Bush trip

Students protested in Indonesian towns and cities today against a visit next week by US President George Bush.

“Bush should be treated like a war criminal because of his actions in Iraq and Afghanistan,” protester Hussein Hasan said. “We call on the Indonesian government to cancel the visit.”

Bush is due to meet Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Bogor during his one-day trip to Indonesia next Monday on the way back from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam.

Scores of small, peaceful protests against the trip have taken place around the country, mostly by Muslim groups or political opponents of Yudhoyono, whose staff have been forced to defend the visit.

Students protested today in at least four other towns or cities besides Bogor.

Bush is unpopular among many Indonesians because of the US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and his support for Israel. Politically the two governments have traditionally been close, however.

Indonesian officials have said the talks are to focus on boosting cooperation in health and education, as well as ways to increase US investment in the mostly poor country of 220 million people.